Adrian Dix resigns, will lead B.C. NDP until next year

NDP leader Adrian Dix announces he will step down as leader by the middle of 2014 'at the latest.'

VANCOUVER – Adrian Dix announced Wednesday he intends to stay on as B.C. NDP leader until next year, when party members hold a vote to replace him.

Dix said the NDP’s loss to the B.C. Liberals in the May provincial election is his responsibility.

“It has become clear to me that the best interests of our party mean that I need to step aside for a new leader who can lead us to victory in 2017,” Dix told a news conference at a downtown Vancouver hotel. “It is my hope that a leadership vote can be held by mid-2014 at the latest, though of course any final decision on timing will be made by the NDP.”

Dix said he intends to stay on as MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway and run for re-election there. The party has a convention scheduled for November, at which his continued leadership will be considered, along with the overall direction of the party.

Dix announced his intentions at a party caucus meeting before making his intentions public, where he said his fellow NDP MLAs are “resolute and determined to keep the pressure on the government and hold them to account for their cynical campaign.”

He expects the race to succeed him will likely begin soon. Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth, who finished second to Dix in the 2011 leadership race, told reporters he is considering making another run for the top job.

Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan, the third-place finisher in 2011, is another likely contender.